Upeksha Wisidagama

The Premise | Four Noble Truths

The basic truths about the world, which Buddhists assume to be true.
(later, they completely realize that they are actually true)

1 – The truth of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, dissatisfaction)
2 – The truth of the origin of dukkha
3 – The truth of the cessation of dukkha
4 – The truth of the path leading to the cessation of dukkha

Only human beings can reason these truths are related to the reality. Beings in other worlds might
have difficulties in reasoning or even believing the above four as truth.

The Destination | Nibbana

The final destination where Noble Eightfold Path will lead you to. Spiritually, the
perfect state of being. I always try to visualize the peace and tranquility I will
experience after reaching this state.

Appendix A | Contemporary Ethical Philosophy

Derek Parfit is a moral philosopher, who once described an state of mind where it is nealy close that of a practising Buddhist.

“My life seemed like a glass tunnel, through which I was moving faster everyyear, and at the end of which there was darkness… [However] When I changed my view, the walls of my glass tunnel disappeared. I now live in the open air.There is still a difference between my life and the lives of other people. Butthe difference is less. Other people are closer. I am less concerned about therest of my own life, and more concerned about the lives of others.”

- Derek Parfit

Derek Parfits ‘Reasons and Persons’ (described by Alan Ryan as “something close to a work of genius”) was published in 1984. His second
major work(‘On What Matters’) is also available on Amazon. I added both these books to my
wish list, wishing to read someday. (I give priority to other books in my wish list.
They must be read first.)

Appendix B | Money

Science is science. Politics is politics. Art is art. Economics is economics.
Sport is sport. Psychology is psychology. Medicine is medicine. Engineering is
engineering. Marketing is marketing. Business is business. Technology is technology.

Buddhism is Buddhism. Buddhism is necessary, but not sufficient.

When you are hungry, you can’t eat ethics. So make sure you make enough money
to buy foods and maintain your moral standards.

(Currently, the distribution is NOT according to the moral value. Needs more reading on Economics?)

“We are the animals that can both understand and respond to reasons. These abilities have given us great knowledge, and power to control the future of life on Earth. Though there may be life elsewhere, there may be no other animals like us. We may be the only rational beings in the Universe.”

– Derek Parfit– On What Matters Volume One (June 20, 2011)+ Part One: Reasons+ Chapter One: Normative Concepts+ Section One: Sufficient and Decisive Reasons+ Page: 60+ The above is the opening sentence of the first paragraph.